Help!!

Hi all. I am still having trouble with my water. My ph reads 7.2-7.8, hard (150), 0 nitrite, 20 nitrate, but my alkalinity is 300! I thought if my ph was around neutral that my alkalinity would be where it is supposed to be. I am using a buffer called "bullseye" it automatically adjusts ph. I noticed yesterday that I have some algae on my heater. I am afraid to add more chemicals & I am not sure what to even add at this point. My male betta seems fine & is eating Okay but my water is cloudy. I don't know what to do & would appreciate any advice I can get. Thanks in advance. Gina

Hi Gunnie, Thanks for responding so quickly. As this has been frustrating. I am using the test strips & my nitrite reads safe. There is no ammonia present if my strips are accurate. Would a bacterial bloom cause my alkalinity to be so high? Thanks Gina

I don't think so, but I'm not real good with the gh, kh, and those other readings. Your ph looks good, so I wouldn't worry about that too much. If you can, I would get a master test kit though. Those strips are notorious for false readings and they are more expensive to use. Can you take a sample of your water to your local fish store and have them test it? Then at least you would know if your readings are the same.

I live in a really small town. We only have a Wal mart (& they are the ones who told me to change my filter each week, so I really don't trust them any more). Our local feed store opened a fish dept. & I think I will check them out. They have to test their water. I will either buy the master kit on line or see if they have one.

What do you use to keep your ph balanced. I'm not sure about this bullseye that I am using. It doesn't say how often to add it. The bottle says to add one teaspoon per gallon but not how often. I know not to change it (ph) more than .5 in 24 hr period but that is the ph not the alkalinity (?) I just want to make sure that having a high alkalinity won't hurt my fish. I really like him & he is definitely a fighter. He's the only one to make it. I feel like such a dummie Thanks for the help.

Unless you are trying to breed fish which normally live in a low ph setting, most fish you buy are used to ahigher ph, and there is no need to alter it. It is much more safe and healthy for your fish to have a stable ph even if it's higher than their "range". What is your ph normally without the chemicals? Try putting out a bowl of water just before you go to bed. Test it and record the ph. Then in the morning, see if the ph is the same. If it is not the same, then you have to "gas out" your water before you put it in your tank because it makes your ph fluctuate in your tank. That is called aging your water. It might be that it's not necessary for you to buffer your water, which will make tank maintenance much easier.

Good morning! I did what you said with the bowl of water last night. My ph is exactly the same 7.2-7.8 in am & pm. The water is moderate alkalinity about 80 out of the tap. As it sat overnight it became slightly more alkaline but the ph did not change.

When I saw the tap water readings last night, I did a 25% water change using stress coat to treat water (no ph buffer). When I tested my water this am, the ph is good but again the alkalinity is 300. :-\ Will this high alkalinity hurt my fish? He seems fine & is eating. The water is still cloudy but not as bad. I did treat water yesterday with algae destroyer (there was green algae on heater). I am not leaving the light on as long to see if that will help. Any other suggestions?

I was looking at filters yesterday & would like to purchase a new one. I will post something under filter section. THANK YOU

You may be able to quit using the ph stuff, but you will have to change the ph slowly by slowly adding new water with very small water changes. The algae destroyer is good for algae, but it can also hurt your fish. Eventhough the bottle says it's safe, most folks on these boards will tell you not to use it, and some will tell you stories of how their fish died after using that stuff. The golden rule in most tanks is the less chemicals the better.

Hi Gunnie. Let me see if I have this right. My fish can live in a ph that is higher IF they are used to that higher ph. (So I don't need all that junk they try to sell me) When I add new fish (at some point) I will float them in the tank & gradually add a tablespoon of my tank water to the bag every 1/2 hour or so. This way new fish gradually adapt to my higher ph. So my goal is a stable ph not a neutral 6.8-7.2? My ph is usually 7.2-7.8 straight from the tap & my tank reads the same. (It's my alkalinity that is really high 300 ???).

As for the algae, how do you remedy that without that algae junk? Thanks for your patience. I just can't wait until I get this figured out. Have a great day.

It sounds like you are getting it girlfriend! Stable ph is much more important. Tell me again what fish you have in your tank. After you acclimate them slowly, you should be able to do water changes straight from the tap. The algae is another story. It's a nutrient imbalance. You may be overfeeding. Do you have any live plants in the tank? Sometimes adding live plants can make the difference. It will be a lot of trial and error.

Hurray!!!! I have one male betta. I don't have any live plants. I have had such a time with the fish I was afraid to try anything else. But I think live plants look really cool. Maybe it's time. I just need to be educated ;D Are there any good sites for plants that you know of? Thanks sssoooooooo much for your help! My fish thanks you too. Gina

My algae isn't that thick. I used that algae destroyer not realizing that it really isn't safe. If the algae comes back, I don't want to use chemicals. Do I do a 25% water change every couple days,daily or what if it returns? How often should I do a water change? My water is really clear right now. Alkalinity is still high (300) but the ph is the same 7.2-7.8. I ordered my test kit a few days ago, can't wait until it gets here. I am anxious to see my water readings. Then I want a new filter & maybe some plants Then maybe some new fish. Thanks for all the help. Gina

I am new here too, and I will tell you where I live my Ph is super high (7.8-8.0 all the time). My fish have been added very very slowly, and have all adjusted wonderfully. I have added a few snails last week (they are beautiful), keep up with removing eggs, and as of today, I finally feel comfortable saying my tank is finally beginning to cycle. I have not had any change in my amonia readings at all, even after my husband surprised me with two 3" "peacock eels" yesterday. They are acutally 2 yellow spineys that the lfs people told him were Peacocks, but I love them all the same. They talked him into buying some stress coat, and even after 28 hours, not one amonia/nitrate/nitrite change.

I am still waiting for the planted driftwood I ordered (help bring that Ph down naturally/slowly, but all of my fish seem to be cohabitating just wonderfully. Eventually, I will have to get another tank for the eels, but that's down the road a little. I am babbling, but just wanted to let you know that I have the eels, snails, black skirt tetras, and some cory cats (a few more corys and it will be a complete tank for us). All but the snails have a preferred lower Ph, and they all do just fine in my 7.8 Ph w/o anything extra added. I HTH, as these guys here have more than helped me through cycling my tank, and keep all my fish happy! Keep us updated on how it goes for you, and take their advice when they say take it slow. This is my 5th week with my tank, and it is finally getting there!

That isn't super high. As long as it's stable you don't have to worry about the ph too much. Unless your trying to breed a certain variety that requires a low ph you dont have to go to any lengths to lower it. Driftwood does look good though